Environmental factors affecting the daily functioning of jordanian individuals with multiple sclerosis

Occupational therapists must consider the hindering and facilitating effects of the environment on patients' functional performance when planning therapeutic interventions. The purpose of this study was to explore environmental factors that hinder, and available services that facilitate, the daily functioning of Jordanian individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) as perceived by the patients themselves. A sample of 103 Jordanian individuals with MS completed a questionnaire on hindering environmental factors and facilitative services. Factors and services were identified according to their description in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Environmental factors that were reported by the participants to be most hindering to their daily functioning were stores and malls (74.2%), noise (87.1%), attitudes of immediate family (52.0%), and government policies and regulations (52.2%). Moreover, the participants reported that psychological services were the least available facilitative services in the community (83.8%). Weak-to-moderate but significant correlations were found between a number of demographic variables and perceived hindering factors. The study results indicate that hindering factors, facilitative services, and demographic variables should be given greater attention by rehabilitation practitioners (especially occupational therapists) when planning intervention programs for Jordanian individuals with MS.